Barclays New Online PINsentry

Friday, April 04, 2008

Seeing as I haven’t been able to properly use my online banking in the past few months and it took close to three weeks for me to be able to actually use the new PINsentry, I thought maybe I’d make a little post on it.

Now firstly, I am a little torn between liking or not liking this new PINsentry system Barclays is using. It’s great that they want to beef up security for your online banking, definitely, but then again, online banking is suppose to be ease of use and now with PINsentry, not only do you need the actual PINsentry itself but also your bank card, to log in. So what, I’ll be carrying around this little calculator sized PINsentry when ever I leave the house… if I need to check my online banking at work or if I go on holiday. Right, so you weigh the advantages to the disadvantages and realise that added security of your account is obviously what’s better. Once you’ve established that it’s probably for the best, to have this little gizmo, you’re now faced with having to get comfortable using it. I for one, am still reasonably wary of it myself to be perfectly honest.

First thing, Barclays should have sent you a new bank card. The old cards just won’t do, they’ve decided that the new cards require some or other added security feature in their magnetic strip, to be used with the PINsentry. Now if royal mail has been royally messing up their deliveries, as they have with me for like two months now, this could have taken a while. But after much patience, phone calls and branch visits, I have finally received my new bank card.

FYI: Please, please, please read the letter carefully you received with your new card, mine specifically has a whole new way of handling direct debits… you wouldn’t want to get into a situation you can’t fix later on, just because you failed to read how your new card works.

So now you’re armed with your new and supposedly improved bank card and your PINsentry and you’re ready to log in. I was told I could use the card straight away, no need to register or confirm I have it, just sign the back and I’m good to go. Surprise surprise, it didn’t work. PINsentry does have a user guide with step for step instructions as well as the step for step instructions on the site itself, when you’re logging in. But for some unknown and royal pain in my butt, I still can’t log in with it. When I can, hopefully today still, I will be giving Barclays a call asking why.

Anyway, other than my seemingly bad luck, the new PINsentry should work just fine. You’ll need it, along with your bank card, every time you want to log into your internet banking and every time you make a payment to some one new. Their details can be saved to use later again, if you wish, so you won’t have to use the PINsentry to make a payment to them specifically again.

Edited: Turns out you won’t be able to log in if you’re in step 2 of the log on process for longer than 90 seconds. The system automatically signs you out, but instead of saying that, it’ll just give you an error saying your log in details are incorrect. Once again, Barclays was VERY helpful on the phone

I can understand that it’s not their fault royal mail sucks so much lately and it took so long for me to get my stuff. And I’m sure what ever the hold up is that’s keeping me from using it, well it’ll be fixed as soon as. One thing I like about Barclays, is their service, they really do try their best. When ever I phone up customer services, furious, a very friendly and helpful person always makes me remember not to take it out on the staff and my anger quickly evaporates.


Happy Shopping!

Barclays Lost & Stolen card hotline: +44 (0) 1604 230230